Plein air pastel landscape painting of a distant farm from the autumn fields.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 8 inches       SOLD

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Some of the painters around Saline, Michigan are coming together to exhibit artworks of a special farm near our town. “Visions of Braun Farms” will be displayed in January and February of next year in downtown Saline. I have completed one piece, but on Sunday I thought I’d try another plein air pastel landscape painting of the beautiful old farm. The fields had all been plowed under and there was very little local color this late in November. But I was drawn to the buildings on the crest with the tractor tracks leading up to them. As I painted, a storm clouds appeared to be moving in so I included them to create a little drama.

Plein air pastel painting of a pond and reflections in the fall

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches       $200

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Today I braved the stores to get all the holiday gift purchases done and it was about 40 degrees when I finally got a chance to go out with my pastels in the afternoon. It was a little chilly but I thought I could handle it. Whoa. Within a half an hour my fingers were tingling and 30 minutes later, I could not feel them at all. But the sky was bright and the atmosphere crystal clear, so I kept on going. It took me a good hour to warm up. Who would have thought plein air pastel landscape painting could be such a dangerous sport?

9-canvas watercolor family quilt painting

9 separate watercolor portrait paintings.     Finished size 36″ x 36″.     Not for sale.

I’ve been working on this project for a couple of months–which is a very long time for me. I usually paint very quickly because I have absolutely no patience and I want instant gratification. Kind of like a child, no?

But this piece was important to me and worth the wait. These are portraits of 2 generations of my family–myself, 2 sisters, husbands and children. I plan to expand it to 16 watercolor portraits and add my mother, grandkids and new nephews as they marry into the family. But I wanted to have at least part of the quilt finished and mounted on the wall for our family Thanksgiving which will be at our house this year.

Because, after all, this IS what I am most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

(these 9 images were painted on the 12 by 12 inch watercolor canvas that has recently become available. I used only 3 colors throughout to harmonize all of the painting: alizarin crimson, utltramarine blue and cadium yellow medium. To finish and protect the paintings, I sprayed with Krylon finishing spray. No need for glass!)

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches       $300

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Yum! Got a chance to use my new pastels out at Delhi Park Sunday afternoon. The area was deserted at this time of year and I had the whole riverfront to myself. It was a foggy day with just a bit of sun but the river grasses were a vibrant gold against the moody water. I love painting water and this scene made for an interesting pastel landscape.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure to stop by Nora Venturelli’s show at the Washington Street Gallery (WSG) on Main Street in Ann Arbor. Her figurative work is amazing and she just got a rave review from art critic John Carlos Cantu in AnnArbor.com. You can also see her large body of work at www.venturellistudio.net.

Plein air pastel painting of a house and rolling lawn in late autumn.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 8 inches       $200

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I was sure that my plein air days were over for this year but it looks like we will have another nice weekend. I’m planning to go out somewhere exotic for a long session tomorrow but this afternoon I found time to do a pastel landscape painting right from my own backyard.  Almost all the trees are bare but there are a few colorful leaves holding on.

I broke down and bought MORE pastels. Its like a sickness. I have to try all the brands and their different colors. This time I purchased a bunch of Great American pastels in shades that were not already in my collection. I had heard they had a wonderful creamy texture and they do! Its like painting with butter! I swear I am going to produce a cool tshirt that says, in huge letters: “Whoever dies with the most pastels wins.”!

Support a local artist in your community: Give original art for your holiday gifts this year!

Pastel portrait painting of a woman in a red beret

Pastel painting 10 inches x15 inches   $300

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One more pastel figure drawing from our session on Monday afternoon. I tried to incorporate what I learned in the workshop last weekend. I worked on seeing the warm and cool colors and creating a strong underlying structure. With the family “quilt” of watercolor paintings that I have been working on lately, I really feel buried in portraits. I am ready to move on to other projects for a while. I find it helpful to move back and forth between subjects. It keeps me looking closely and stops me from getting too complacent with a certain technique.

Pastel portrait painting of a young woman in profile

Pastel painting 10 inches x15 inches   $300

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This is my final portrait from the class I took with Vianna Szabo. Wouldn’t say it is an exact likeness but I think it is an interesting pastel figure drawing. Vianna encouraged us to use warm and cool colors and also showed us how to use a no-odor thinner to create a dynamic underpainting. I learned a lot from the class and now I will work toward incorporating her tips into my everyday painting.

Small pastel portrait painting of a young girl in profile

Pastel painting 4 inches x 6 inches   $80

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Our Pastel Portrait class this weekend with Vianna Szabo was wonderful! She started out with some basic but essential tips on how to draw the head using axis lines and went on to give mini lessons in drawing the eye, nose and mouth. She did an amazing pastel figure drawing demonstration using her beautiful daughter as a model. It was inspiring but also quite daunting! She has such an excellent eye for capturing form, light and color. Our first task was to create a small sketch of the model using our chosen color palette. We were not to work for a likeness, but more of a form and color guide for our larger portrait to come.

SafeHouse Center is an organization that fights domestic violence and sexual assault in Washtenaw County. I have recently become a board member and am really excited about working to strengthen this important community asset. I designed and produced a calendar filled with the art of local women artists as a fundraiser to help SafeHouse continue their good work during these trying economic times. Although their funds have been cut, they are serving more families than ever before and the shelter is full to over-flowing. For a small donation of $15 for 1 or $40 for 3 (plus shipping) you can make a difference in the lives of thousands of women and children.

Please contact me if you would be interested in supporting SafeHouse AND owning a beautiful, art-filled calendar. They make perfect holiday gifts!

Pastel drawing of a nude woman leaning on a hoop.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 16 inches   $300

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Another pastel figure drawing from this week’s session. I love the process of creating pastel paintings of the human body. It is the absolutely best way to learn to accurately draw what you see, not what you think you know. You can fake a landscape painting or a floral painting, but if you get a drawing of a face or a figure wrong, it is immediately obvious. I have in no way mastered this process, but I look forward to years of perfecting my skills!

I am looking forward to taking a workshop this week with Vianno Szabo, an established portrait artist. A couple of my artist friends will be attending and we are sure to learn a lot!

Nude figure drawing of a young woman in a seated position.

Pastel painting 16 inches x 11 inches   $300

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One of my pastel figure drawings from our session this week. I liked the solid, classical position the model took. I worked on “reclaimed paper” (paper with a failed image that’s been scrubbed down). It really gives a rich, complex ground to work on. I think I’m going to use that more often to enhance my works– and god knows I have enough spoiled paper!

Looking for beautiful but inexpensive art to give for the holidays? Think about giclee art prints. I have a wonderful printer who creates stunning prints that are almost identical to the original work. They can be printed at original size or smaller, and sell for a fraction of the price of the original artwork. And they are printed on high quality, archival watercolor paper. Check out the work I have available as giclees here: http://www.jillwagnerart.com/giclee/giclee.htm. All prints can be shipped directly to you so you can avoid the shopping mall mess!

Plein air pastel painting of a farmhouse and fields in late afternoon.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches       $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

What a perfect afternoon for plein air pastel painting! The autumn leaves have all dropped here in Michigan but the fields are still colorful and the light today was fantastic. I’ve wanted to paint Braun Farm in Saline for years now, and I finally got the push I needed when I found out that my pastel group is going to have a show with this farm as the only subject matter. Its a beautiful old place right near town, owned by a couple of brothers, who, I believe, have put the property in a land trust so it will never be filled with industrial sprawl. The light on the fields in late afternoon is almost dreamlike and sooooo peaceful. It was just begging to become a pastel landscape!